After sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) was fouled in the second half, teammates Zed Key (23), Scotty Middleton (0), Jamison Battle (10) and Dale Bonner help him up off the ground. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Led by a 17-point, six-rebound and five-assist performance by sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr., Ohio State pulled ahead late to win 79-73 against Oakland Monday at Value City Arena in its season opener.
The Buckeyes (1-0) overcame significant struggles shooting the ball and a single-point first-half deficit in a game in which Ohio State was heavily favored. Oakland led by as many as seven in the first nine minutes.
“It’s your first game. You see a different defense,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “We’re struggling against the team everybody thinks we should beat, so you feel like the walls are closing in.”
The Golden Grizzlies (0-1) opened the contest with a quick score of 19-12 after under eight minutes of play with a hot start from three, making four out of their first six 3-pointers. Graduate guard Blake Lampman led the way, scoring 8 points and two 3-pointers without a miss in under seven minutes of play.
Ohio State struggled offensively in the opening minutes but remained in a tight game with Oakland, largely due to a high effort on the glass, out-rebounding the Golden Grizzlies 21-14.
After a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Bruce Thornton, his first made field goal of the game, Ohio State took its first lead at 34-33.
Graduate forward Jamison Battle led the Buckeyes’ scoring in the first half, leading Ohio State in both points, 9, and rebounds, three, as well as having a chase-down block in the first 18 seconds of the contest.
Despite shooting just over 39 percent from the field and 20 percent from three in the first half, the Buckeyes went into halftime down by just one.
Coming out of the break, the Buckeyes and Golden Grizzlies traded baskets to open up the second half, but Ohio State still trailed 44-38 after five minutes.
Just three minutes later, freshman forward Scotty Middleton was able to tie the game at 44 with back-to-back 3-pointers, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Graduate guard Jack Gohlke scored a team-high 18 points for the Golden Grizzlies, but it wasn’t enough to stop an efficient shooting second half by the Buckeyes.
Four straight baskets, including an emphatic alley-oop slam from Gayle, propelled Ohio State back into a 56-52 lead with eight minutes remaining.
“That was the first ever connection on an alley-oop, so it was a very special moment,” Gayle said. “Plays like that obviously change the course of the game.”
In spite of early turnovers early in the second half and losing theat battle with 13 to the Golden Grizzlies’ nine, the Buckeyes were able to capitalize off great second halves with the help of their veterans, outscoring Oakland by seven.
Although a close affair for most of the game and leading for under ten total minutes, Ohio State was able to pull ahead late thanks to an eight-minute stretch where Gayle and senior forward Zed Key scored 21 in a row for the Buckeyes.
“In crucial moments of the game, we got the stops that we needed,” Key said. “We were able to take first-time rebounds and turn them into scores.”
Friday, Ohio State faces the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies in a highly anticipated matchup in Columbus at 7 p.m. Peacock will broadcast the event.
